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This app keeps your kids from ignoring you; should you try it?

The Ignore No More app, created by Houston mom Sharon Standifird, lets parents lock their kid’s smartphone until their child calls them. Once the phone is locked, the child can’t text, play games, call friends or really do anything but call a set list of contacts (likely the parents, though other contacts can be specified) or 911. The app costs $1.99 and you can use one account to control multiple children’s phones; the app is currently only available on Android phones.

Some parents, no doubt, will rejoice, as it helps them keep tabs on their kids. Reviews from this year include Desiree McNeill saying that she finds it “very useful,” Amy Smith calling it “awesome sauce” and saying that she is “waiting on the iPhone version (one of my kids has an iPhone)” and Liane Parkers saying it “works perfectly.” Indeed, more than half of the 98 app reviews in the Google app store are five star reviews (the best rating given).

Experts say it’s useful as well. “This is a great opportunity for children to be held accountable for what the rules of the house are,” says Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, a psychologist and author of the soon-to-be-published “Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love ” “This app allows kids to demonstrate their responsibility, and when they do not abide by the rules, there are appropriate consequences.”

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But some experts caution that this app should only be used as a last resort. Washington, D.C.-area psychologist Dr. Doree Lynn says that parents should first have a talk with their child about the purpose of the cellphone (what it should and should not be used for), how to use it safely (i.e. no texting while driving) and what kinds of usage expectations the parents have for it (how many hours a day is OK, what activities are OK, etc.). “Let the child know that you value their independence, which is why you want them to have the phone, but that in this family there are expectations [around its use],” she says.

Lynn adds that parents should lay out consequences for kids for violating their cellphone rules on how the phone is used and how often it is used; consequences, she says, might include taking the phone away for a while or installing the Ignore No More app. Singer says that you might also want to consider telling the child you will not pay the bill if they don’t check in with you in a timely manner. “Get your message across without the app first,” Lynn says. Then, if the child keeps violating the rules, the app or another consequence is something to consider, she says. Rick Singer, the CEO of app review website GreatApps.com, says that sometimes kids need to hear this talk multiple times.

Parents also may want to beware of a few other things when using this app, including the allure of further monitoring your kids, says Singer: “If a parent is willing to go to this extreme, are they then going to take it a step further to spy on their children?” It also may incur your child’s wrath. As reviewer Parkers notes: “My son hates it and I love it.” And some reviewers had trouble with the app. About a quarter of the app reviews were one- and two-star reviews (the lowest rating). Phillip Le found that he easily signed into someone else’s account, and Jon Olaivar said that it locked him out of his phone when he tried to disable it and that he ended up having to do a factory reset of the phone. However, in most cases of a negative review or complaint, app-maker Mountaineer Technology Ventures responded to the person in a timely manner.

Still, for kids who don’t take your heart-to-heart to heart, this app can be a good way to keep tabs on them so you can help ensure they’re safe. “It’s a neat app that, while not using any advanced technology, is effective for parents to control their kid’s mobile device,” says Singer.

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